Photos: ROBYN EDIE/FAIRFAX NZ

used to, saying the conservation of things was really important to the culture of the country.

‘‘And it’s important to who we are, and it’s becoming increasingly important to our economy.’’

Arihia Bennett, chief executive of te Runanga o Ngai Tahu and a Predator Free 2050 board member, said the Auckland Islands showed the results of protecting the environment and it was something to aspire to on the mainland.

The government was pumping an initial investment of $27 million into the Predator-Free 2050 project, but $600 million was earmarked for the entire project by 2050.

For every dollar the Crown put in, the aim was to get $3 or $4 from outside sources such as philanthropists, businesses and others.

But the public was needed to help with the war on predators, including private landowners and groups already killing pests in their communities.

Parker said the goal had a clear focus, ‘‘start village by village, community by community. We will get there’’.

If the challenge was met, the results would be impressive.

New Zealand’s native plant species were ‘‘very tasty’’ for possums so if they were gone the trees would regenerate.

‘‘And when you get plant life recovering, you get bird life coming back,’’ Parker said.

And without the rats and stoats, more chicks would survive.

‘‘If those pests aren’t there, we don’t need to use [1080] toxin.’’

The Predator Free 2050 programme was launched last year and Barry believed it was resonating with New Zealanders.

‘‘My goal is no other government can walk away from it because it’s so embedded in the New Zealand psyche.’’

‘‘If you get something embedded enough, it will survive anything.’’